Second Soul
by Francesca Monterone
Summary: Harry actually wasn't an only child; he had a twin sister. Helen was killed along with their parents... or was she? Pairing will be HP/DM, but that's for later.
1. Prologue: Hidden

_I don't own it, but I'm a huge fan XD I'd totally nominate J.K. Rowling for the Nobel Prize_. _She'd probaly be the first Nobel-Prize-winner whose stories are actually fun to read... can't say that about Thomas Mann or Orhan Pamuk. Their stories are good, but they aren't fun. So, anyway, no, I don't own it, but I hope that doesn't bother anyone... on to the story..._

* * *

"You are not going to give my godson to the Dursleys!" Sirius protested, outraged. "These people are ghastly! They are ignorant, intolerant, malicious and they will most certainly not love him. Just look at how they treated Lily after she had married James! Petunia wouldn't even speak to her anymore! Her own sister!"

Albus Dumbledore sighed. He looked grey and exhausted, his face haggard from lack of sleep. "I realize that they are not the best sort of people. However, right now, they are the only people capable of keeping the boy safe, even though they will never know it. Lily's protection will only work with close blood-relatives… and Petunia Dursley and her son are the only ones who qualify. There are a few distant relatives of James, to be sure. The Longbottoms are related, as are the Parkinsons and Miranda Wood and her son… but too distant."

"How can you be sure of that? Why not give it a try? Let's take him to the Longbottoms, they are good people. Friends. Loyal, trustworthy, caring. Plus, they have a little boy about his age. He could grow up having an adopted brother, in place of the sister he lost."

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Sirius. I am not willing to risk Harry's life. There is too much at stake here, and three people gave their lives so he could live his. I promise you that I will try to find a way to keep him safe _without_ the Dursleys, but it will take time, and it may never happen… however, it will only matter until he turns eleven, anyway. Then he'll be able to come to Hogwarts, and he won't be seeing much of the Dursleys anymore."

"Do you not think that it is a great risk to let a wizard grow up in a Muggle family?" Remus asked, frowning deeply.

"My dear Remus, quite a lot of wizards grow up in Muggle families. Lily did, for example. It didn't hurt her or her family much, did it?"

Sirius scowled. "I don't like it."

"You don't have to. In fact, I think, none of us likes it very much. But there is simply no choice in the matter… my greatest concern is for the safety and health of the boy, and I am quite sure, you agree. We can only hope that the Dursleys will treat him well and that he will grow up to be a normal, healthy and happy child… though I cannot imagine how he could do so, with as tragic a past as he has. We have to make certain that his location is kept secret. This means, none of us will be able to visit him, as that would be conspicuous. We also have to make certain that he never learns of his past?"

"What? You want to deny him the knowledge of his parents? Dumbledore, you cannot do this! Lily and James loved him, they fought for him, they died for him. He ought to know that." Sirius looked pale and shaken, mentioning his best friend's death.

Dumbledore pursed his lips. "You may have a point. However, I insist that he must not be told until he enters Hogwarts. By that time, he will be old enough to understand."

Remus nodded his approval.

"And," Dumbledore added, "he must never, not under any circumstances, be told about the fate of his sister, or the fact that he even _had_ a sister. It would be too great a risk."

"Why?" Sirius asked, apparently confused.

"Think, Sirius! Although we do not fully understand what happened to Helen, we do know that Lily's desperate attempt to safe both her children endangered them both and may yet destroy Harry. The years will show the real impact of Lily's desperate magic. However, I believe that Harry's best chance of survival lies in keeping the hidden things hidden… forever, if possible. We do not want him to discover what truly lies buried within him, do we? It would be a horribly thing to have to live with… and it might kill him… kill them both. Therefore: No word of Helen. Not to anyone. And especially not to Harry."

Remus nodded gravely, and after a long minute, Sirius joined him.

"He shall never know."

* * *

- A few days later, Sirius Black was arrested and charged with the murder of James and Lily Potter, and as all the evidence spoke against him, convicted and sent off to Azkaban, where he was to remain many long and dreary years –


	2. The Calling

_- Twelve years later –_

_Harry's tale_

_

* * *

_

When I first felt this strange awareness that seemed to rise from a deep, secret and hidden place within my own body, I was thirteen years old and I mistook it for the first signs of adolescence. I had heard about the changes that invariably came with puberty, not only shaping people's bodies in unfamiliar ways, but also transforming their character to a certain degree. I felt a mixture of excitement, fear and annoyance, but I told myself that puberty was something everyone had to suffer through and tried to shrug it off.

It worked well, at least for a while, but as my fourteenth birthday drew nearer, the awareness rising within me seemed to gain strength and form and I felt it more frequently until it became something of a constant companion. It changed, too. It changed from being an unknown "something", a strange sensation that I could neither grasp nor explain, to something more solid, something more _alive_.

It scared me. Sometimes, I was quite convinced that the aftereffects of Voldemort's evil curse were slowly rendering me mad and that there was nothing I could do about it. I told no one. I couldn't bear telling my friends, because I imagined the horror and anguish I would see in their faces. I was too proud to tell Dumbledore, and too shy to tell Sirius or Remus.

And then, one lonely summer night in Privet Drive, just a few days before my fourteenth birthday, a question formed within me.

_Who are you?_

I shrank back, cowering under the blankets, desperately telling myself that I was dreaming, that I was not hearing inexplicable voices, that…

_Where am I?_

I covered my ears, I shook my head, I stood up and walked a few steps; it didn't do any good. The voice only grew more pronounced, more urgent.

_Who are you? Where am I? Why is it dark? Where are mother and father? Why didn't anyone help me? Why am I here?_

It sounded desperate, just as scared as I felt and somehow that gave me the courage to try and answer.

"I am Harry Potter. Who are you?"

Silence. Then: _Glad, I am so glad… I have finally reached you… answer me, quickly, before I start fading away again: Where are we?_

This was impossible. I was having a conversation with a voice I only heard in my head!

_Bad sign, Harry… finally turning loony, I see…_

_No!_ The voice sounded – or rather felt – angry. _No, no, you are not crazy! You are really hearing me!_

"Then who are YOU?"

_Helen. My name is Helen._

"I do not know a Helen."

_You do now. Please Harry, just try to believe me! It was so hard to reach you… if you deny the possibility of this being real, I will fail… again._

"What do you mean?" I asked, intrigued despite myself.

_I have been trying to reach you for so long, but it never worked. I always knew, you were there, somehow… even when I didn't know who you were or what was… I can't explain… but I became more aware of it all, recently. It was like waking up after spending a lot of time in a coma…_

"A coma?"

_Sort of. As I said, I can't explain. But everything is growing clearer, now that I'm talking to you. I SEE. I FEEL. I even SMELL things…_

There was wonder and awe accompanying the voice now.

_Oh, it is so…! … is this life?_

"That is a really weird question to ask!"

_Are you alive, Harry?_

"Sure. As far as I know, I haven't died since yesterday, so yes… I am alive. Aren't you?" Was I hearing the voices of the dead? Stupid idea, really…

_I'm not sure. How does it feel?_

"What? Being alive?"

_Yes. _

"Um… warm, I guess. Or cold. That depends. And you feel things."

_I feel things._ The voice sounded excited. _There, the blanket is warm!_

"You feel the blanket?" Involuntarily, I stroked it, then raised my hand.

_Aah… now I don't feel it anymore. _Disappointment.

A thought struck me. "Maybe you can only feel things when I feel them too…? Like when I touch the blanket, you feel it…?"

_Try_, she prompted and I did.

_You were right,_ she confirmed my theory. _Strange, isn't it?_

"Not really. I mean, if you really are inside me, it sort of makes sense that you can only feel what I feel. Maybe you don't even exist and I am only imagining you."

_I DO exist!_ It was weird, I actually _felt_ her anger. She had quite a temper for someone who might not even be real.

"Um… okay… let's assume you are real. So, how did you get to be a voice in my head? Did you somehow leave your body? Did one of your potions go wrong or was it a spell that backfired?"

_I don't think so_, she replied thoughtfully. _I think I've always been there. No… not always… there was a time, when I was very little, when things were different. I think I had a body once. My own body. But I was a very small child, and so were you._

"You knew me when I was a baby?" I was appalled. "How's that possible?"

_I don't know. I just remember things… people. You were there when I was little. I just KNOW. It's all very distant and fuzzy now._

"But you are magical, right? You are a witch?" I asked, dwelling on the potion-that-went-wrong-theory.

_Yes. Lend me your wand, will you?_

I was about to ask how she would hold it, having no hands of her own, but then I gasped as my wand-hand rose with a will of its own, performed a somewhat shaky flick and dropped down again. On the other side of the room, one of my spellbooks smashed into the wall.

_Um… sorry…_, Helen apologized. _I can't really control it yet._

"How did you do that?"

_I willed it to happen._

That was not an answer that satisfied me. "Does that mean, you could control my body?"

_Probably. But I would need a lot more practice to do that._

The mere thought of it scared me. "Okay, Helen, let's get one thing straight: You need to promise me, to swear to me, never to do that against my will, okay? Swear to me that you'll ask me before doing that!"

_It's your body. It would only be fair. Okay, I'll swear never to do this without your consent. But I want to ask a favor in return… could you… could you allow me sometimes to do things? Like magic and picking up stuff or walking around…? It just feels so great to be able to do something… to have a body…!_

I instantly took pity on her. What a horrible thing to be trapped inside someone else's body, unable to move, or speak or do anything.

"We'll return you to your body, Helen," I promised, and I meant it.

_Thanks, Harry, _I could feel her smile. _I'm just not sure whether that is possible. But I would be so happy if we could try…_

"We will. And as long as you're stuck in here, we'll just try to get along. But we really need to get some help. I'll ask my friends and some of my teachers."

_I just hope they won't think you've gone mad. _Helen sounded worried at this.

"It is a pretty strange story to tell," I admitted, "but I'll talk to Dumbledore first. He's sure to believe me. He always does."

_Yes, from your memories of him, he seems like a kind and trusting person_, she agreed.

"You can see my memories?"

_Some of them. I can read your thoughts to. I guess that's because I'm sort of inside your head. You can feel my emotions, too, can't you?_

"Sort of. This is so weird, Helen!"

_It is. But I'm glad to be able to talk to you know. I've been very lonely, you know._


	3. Hearing Voices

Having Helen in my head was just about the oddest thing I had experienced so far… and I had experienced a lot of odd things since coming to Hogwarts, and even before that. But hearing voices – or rather, one voice – in my head was a new one, even for me.

By now, I was quite convinced that no, I wasn't imagining things and that she was really there, though I couldn't quite imagine how that would be possible. I was determined to tell my friends about her – at least Ron and Hermione – but I wasn't sure where to start. "Hey guys, I'm hearing voices" might not have been the right opening for that particular conversation…

Helen herself wasn't particularly helpful in that respect. She was caught up in raptures about being able to see, hear and feel things. I constantly had to remind her that I was at my aunt's and uncle's house and not allowed to do any magic – I still didn't know why her fooling around with my wand hadn't been detected by the Ministry, but I knew that I'd be in huge trouble, if they ever learned about it.

_Why don't you just run off to Ron's?_ Helen asked._ They're mean to you and you hate them, so why stay here and suffer?_

"Because Dumbledore told me to stay," I explained patiently.

_Why would he want you to suffer? He likes you. I'm sure there has been a mistake…_

Somehow, she seemed to know a lot more about me than I knew about her, which was kind of unfair. It was nice to have someone to talk to, though, and her knowledge of my past and present meant that I didn't have to explain everything.

"It's all about the protective magic Mum worked to keep me safe," I told her. "It only works when I'm around blood relatives."

_Don't you have any other relatives?_

"None that I'd know of."

_You know, that's kind of sad, Harry._ I felt her pity, and somehow, it didn't bother me, because I knew the feeling to be genuine.

"Yeah. It also means that I'm locked up in here till the end of summer and that I can't do any magic. I still can't believe my luck at escaping the Ministry when you used my wand."

_But that's just the point, isn't it? I used your wand. You didn't do it, so the Ministry didn't catch you._

"It was still my hand that moved."

_I don't think that matters. It's the will behind the spell. Hey, you know what? I reckon that you could wave your wand around as much as you wanted to, as long as it was me casting the spell. Their sensors can't pick it up, because there's a division between the body and the mind… I'm not really a corporeal being right now, am I?_

That made sense to me, but I wasn't too thrilled at the prospect of testing her theory. "This could get me expelled," I told her.

_Only if they catch you, Harry. And if they do, you can still tell them that the voice in your head made you do it. Wouldn't even be a lie._

I could almost hear her chuckle as I felt her amusement flooding through me.

_Come on, don't be such a coward_, she urged.

"Helen, I really don't think that this is such a good idea… the Ministry…"

_Screw the Ministry! They are blind. They don't know who I am, or where I am, for that matter._

"Okay, so, what do you want to do?"

_Oh, I don't know… just something… how about you practice a bit for school?_

"You want me to illegally work magic in order to practice for school? During the holidays? That's… you're worse than Hermione, Helen!"

_I'll take that as a compliment. I think I like her._

"You don't even know her!"

_I know her from your memories and she seems a very likeable person. A lot more sensible than Ron, but he's more fun._

It was hard to argue that, but somehow, I thought it odd that she should know my friends from my memories. But on the other hand, she was inside my head, wasn't she? She probably knew just about everything there was to know about me.

_Not_ everything. _But almost. And I know that you haven't done any homework so far._

"It's the _holidays_, Helen. No one does homework during their holidays."

_Hermione does._

"Well, Hermione is a little strange in that respect. But I can assure you that no one else does."

_I will. Or rather… we will, since I can't do a thing without you. Come on, Harry. It's not as if you had anything else to do._

Unfortunately, she was right. I walked over to the desk and picked up my wand.

"What now?"

_Just relax_, Helen said.

I took a deep breath and tried to think of nothing at all (it didn't work too well; somehow, it never does, when you concentrate on it). I closed my eyes.

Helen opened them for me.

It was a strange feeling, I was still inside my own body and very well aware of my surroundings, yet I was reduced to a strange passivity. As I watched Helen control my body, I was very glad that she had promised never to do this against my will. It was really, really creepy.

She flipped through the pages of one of my spell books before pausing at one. "Let's do this one."

It was one of the _simpler_ Transfigurations spells, intended to make apparently lifeless seeds like nuts or rice grow into small plants. In fact, there is no such thing as an easy Transfigurations spell, and Helen discovered that pretty quickly. It annoyed her to no end, but she was determined not to give up until she had mastered the spell.

Hedwig was looking at us skeptically from her cage, while Helen attempted to change the walnut on my desk for the umpteenth time, cursing softly under her breath.

A noise at the window turned my attention away from Helen and I tried to look up, just as Helen burst into a triumphant shout of "Ha! I did it!". My will pushed against hers, as I tried to raise my head, while she was still in control of my body, but as I had caught her by surprise, she lost the struggle and my head jerked up a little more forcibly than I'd intended.

_Hey! What was that for?_

"Sorry," I apologized, "I'm just not used to having someone else use my body. Look!"

I pointed at the window. Two owls sat on the windowsill, both carrying parcels.

_Birthday presents!_ Helen called excitedly, _I'd almost forgotten about that! Happy birthday, Harry! I'm sorry I can't hug you._

"Um… it's okay, Helen. I've survived the last thirteen years without getting hugs on my birthday."

_Go on, let them in! You need to open your presents! They are from Ron and Hermione, aren't they?_

They were, and I was happy to see that my friends hadn't forgotten me. Ron's birthday card even mentioned the possibility of me getting to spend some time at the Burrow and maybe going to the Quidditch World Cup, and that was about as good as life could get.

_I wonder when my birthday is_, Helen mused.

"You don't know?" I asked, surprised. "But you do know how old you are, don't you?"

_About your age, I think._

In the beginning, I would have thought her to be older, especially considering my theory about that wrongly brewed potion, but I took her excitability and eagerness to experience as signs of youth, so it somehow made sense that she shouldn't be that much older than I was. Besides, Helen could be really silly and gigglish, sometimes.

We spent the rest of my birthday testing Helen's abilities by trying to conjure up a birthday cake (it didn't work, but we had fun trying) and trying to figure out how to get people to believe that she really was there, inside my head.

Helen assured me that everything would turn out for the better in the end, but I wasn't so sure about that. Somehow, I lacked that optimism she possessed in abundance.

* * *

That night, I dreamt of Voldemort and my scar burned.

Both Helen and I woke up screaming, panting and covered in cold sweat from the vivid dream.

_So that's Wormtail? _Helen asked. _He's disgusting!_

"A sniveling rat," I agreed, "but I'm more worried about Voldemort right now."

_Right. But he can't be anywhere near, can he?_

"I don't see how that would be possible… yet… my scar only hurts when he's close by…"

I sensed her fear, and I, too, was scared by the thought of Voldemort coming to haunt Privet Drive. There was another feeling emanating from Helen, though, and I couldn't quite understand it.

"Why are you angry?" I asked, puzzled.

_Because they killed that poor man and he never even had a chance to escape! And he killed your parents to, that monster!_

So she was angry at Voldemort on my behalf?

_I guess… I don't know. Somehow, just to think of it makes me __**furious**__!_

Helen suggested writing to Hermione to tell her about the dream and the scar and ask for her help, but I didn't want to scare either Ron or Hermione, and I felt embarrassed about bothering Dumbledore with it. We agreed to write to Sirius, though, and I felt a bit better, after I had sent off Hedwig with the letter.

* * *

_In case anyone is wondering about Harry's and Helen's distinctively non-British way of speaking (and thinking) - I spent only about a week in London, but close to eleven months in the States. Moreover, most of my favorite English-speaking writers are either American or Canadian, or they have been dead for so long that I can hardly copy their style. I apologize, but I'm just not very good with British English. Oh well... nobody's perfect..._


	4. Breakout

_Helen's tale_

_

* * *

_

Trying to persuade Harry to arrange a meeting with his friends while locked up at his family's house in Muggle London was about as difficult as trying to persuade a hungry dragon not to eat you. I was insistent, though. Not only was I curious about Ron and Hermione, but I was also desperate to find out how I had ended up in Harry's body and if there was a possibility of returning to my own.

Harry patiently explained again and again that no, it just wasn't possible, because the Dursleys would certainly notice and then all hell would break lose.

_We can do this the Muggle way_, I argued. _You can sneak out at night, and then meet Ron and Hermione somewhere in town. Hermione is muggleborn, she'll know how to be inconspicuous and she can teach Ron._

"It's too dangerous," Harry replied stubbornly.

Luckily, though, I am a lot more stubborn than he is, and I can be very annoying when I really want something. And even Harry's patience has its limits…

So in the end, we sent letters to Hermione and Ron, explaining the plan, and even though they thought it to be extremely risky, they were too concerned about Harry to turn him down.

We agreed to meet in a mall far enough away from Privet Drive to make certain that no one would recognize Harry, yet close enough to be reached by bus. There was a movie theater there, so the mall would be open until late at night and we would be able to meet there without causing suspicion. Or so I thought.

Harry was very nervous about the whole thing, so I offered to get us out of the house by magic. I was merely excited.

_Calm down_, I told Harry, who was fidgeting around. _It'll be fine._

I felt his discomfort and I knew that he was worrying… about both of us. It was nice to know that he cared; really nice, in fact. I had never known anyone to care about me – well, no, there had been someone, my parents, my family, but that had been a very long time ago, I felt sure about that. Harry, however, was here right now, and he was concerned about my safety. I felt a surge of affection towards him, and of course, he caught that, too. And blushed. It was so cute. He actually blushed.

Obviously, I had to tease him about that mercilessly.

_So, Harry… do you have a girlfriend?_ I asked, while he busied himself with the Invisibility Cloak.

"What? What kind of question is that to ask when we're about to sneak out of the house illegally using magic, which, by the way, is a really stupid idea…!" He seemed upset, though not upset enough to let it go.

_A reasonable one, I think. I'm just curious. I couldn't find any memories or thoughts about a girlfriend while snooping around in your head, so I'm wondering if you're hiding something from me…_

"That's really none of your business, Helen!"

_Humor me. I've been locked up forever, and I've never had anyone to talk to. I didn't really live. Can you blame me for being curious?_

"Well, do you have to be curious about my love-life?"

_Absolutely. So? Girlfriend or no girlfriend?_

"No girlfriend." His cheeks were a deep shade of pink now.

_Aw… are you too shy, Harry? You probably are. You know, I could help you with that. Are there any girls you like?_

"No!"

_No, you don't want me to help or no, you don't like any girls? _

"Both! No… I mean, of course I like Hermione, and Luna and Ginny, but they're friends. I'd never… well, I'm not in love with any of them, okay?"

_Got it. But I bet there are a lot more girls in Hogwarts than just those three. Like any of them?_

"Not particularly, no. Can we please stop having this conversation?"

_You're either a pretty cold fish, Harry, or an insufferable prude. I'm guessing it's the latter._

"Helen! Please! I need to concentrate."

_Excuses, excuses. After all it's me who's going to do the actual work. Here, let me take over. And no weird stunts this time, okay? If I trip on the stairs, the Dursleys will catch us, and I'd really like to avoid that, I hate Petunia's screeching when she's upset._

He stepped aside, probably glad that I'd finally changed the topic. I chuckled quietly to myself.

_Helen! It's not funny!_

"Yeah, yeah. Stop fussing. Now, let's do this. Should be fun."

And it was. Harry, of course, didn't stop fussing, but that actually only made it better. I got a kick out of the adrenaline rush as we slipped out of the room and down the stairs, all senses heightened, excitement cursing through my body – well, his body - like a drug. I'd never felt more alive than in those few minutes. When we were outside the house and far enough away from it, I laughed out loud as we rushed along the quiet street.

"This is great!"

_You really __**are**__ strange, Helen_, Harry commented.

"Who, me?" And again I laughed.

* * *

We caught the bus and reached the mall in no time. No one was staring at us – or rather, at Harry – and in fact, no one even seemed to take notice of us. Which only confirmed my suspicions about Muggles – they really were ignorant to the point of blindness. No wonder that wizards had managed to keep their entire lifestyle a secret for so long.

Hermione and Ron, on the other hand, noticed Harry the moment he came in sight and came rushing towards him.

"You've got a surprisingly accurate memory," I commented.

_Huh?_

"Well, they look almost exactly as you pictured them in your mind… well, Hermione's hair is slightly less bushy and Ron's got a few more freckles, but other than that…"

_Helen, if you don't want them to think that I've gone crazy, you better stop talking to yourself right now._

_Oh… right. Sorry about that._

"Harry!" Hermione flung her arms around us and I caught Harry flinching.

_Jeez, you really are a prude. Calm down, Harry! It's just a friendly hug._

"Hello Hermione," I greeted her. "Ron."

_Should I hug him, too? I mean, do you usually –_

_DON'T!_

Okay, now that was pretty clear. I opted for grinning at Ron instead. He didn't know why I was grinning, but he took it as a sign of friendship, so no harm done…

"What happened?" Hermione asked, her voice almost down to a whisper. "You gave us a right scare, Harry! What's wrong? There is something wrong, is there?"

_Depends on your definition of wrong, I guess_, I said to Harry.

_Having people in your head definitely counts as "there is something wrong"._

_Hey, it wasn't my idea, okay? Besides, you said it was nice to have someone to talk to._

_Helen, you should probably say something. Hermione's looking at you oddly._

"I… er… well, you know, I've been hearing this voice in my head…"

_HELEN! Are you deliberately trying to make me sound like a lunatic?_

_No, but how do you want me to explain this?_

Both Hermione and Ron were staring at us, disbelief and concern mingling on their faces.

"Okay, look guys, it's not as weird as it sounds… I mean, I haven't gone crazy or anything."

"No, of course not," Hermione quickly said. She didn't look entirely convinced, though. "Why don't you try to explain it to us. In detail. And from the beginning."

"Right." I smiled sheepishly. "Well, you see…"

_Wait – am I going to be explaining this from your point of perspective or mine?_

_They think you're me. We don't want to confuse them too much, do we?_

"Okay… so… I just woke up a few days ago, and someone was talking to me… though not out loud. In my head. I know this sounds crazy, but I really herd her… I still hear her – damn, I can't do this!"

I stamped my foot in frustration and received confused looks from Ron and Hermione and an exasperated groan from Harry.

_You already ruined it, Helen!_

"Shut up, Harry! You think you can do this better? Fine! Go ahead! I'm not stopping you!"

I mentally shoved him back in place, the retreated to a corner of his mind, sulking. I still noticed Ron and Hermione exchanging an alarmed look, though.

"Harry, I think you need help," Hermione carefully suggested.

"Seriously," Ron added. "Look, we'll talk to my parents and then we can get you to St. Mungo's…"

"I'm not crazy!" Harry repeated. "Look… the voice I'm hearing… well, it's a girl. Her name is Helen. Just now, that was her. We're sort of sharing my body right now and I let her take over, which wasn't such a good idea, apparently. But it's still me, okay? And I'm completely sane, even if I'm not making much sense right now…"

"So… you've got a girl named Helen inside your body…," Ron slowly said, "How'd she get there?" He sounded pretty incredulous.

"I have no idea! Helen?"

_Me neither, stupid._

"She says she doesn't know either."

"Harry… this is a joke, right?" Ron asked.

"No!"

"How long have you been hearing this voice?" Hermione cut in.

"A few days. But I've felt a little odd for quite some time."

"Hey, maybe it's demonic possession!" Ron blurted out, his eyes lighting up.

_Did he just call me a demon?_

"Ron! Be serious!" Hermione chastised. "You've obviously been reading the wrong books, there's no such thing as demons. It's just a common muggle misconception." She looked at Harry. "So… if you haven't gone crazy and you're not sick – and let's just assumed that for the moment – what else could it be? You don't think… Harry, what if it's Voldemort behind this?"

_Okay, this is getting silly. First a demon, and now I'm supposed to be Voldemort? Let me talk to them again, Harry!_

_Absolutely not!_

"It's not Voldemort, Hermione. It's Helen. I mean… I don't exactly know who she is, but she seems pretty human to me. And we'd both really like to get her out of my head and back to her body. Which is why I need your help. I need figure out what exactly happened to Helen and how she ended up in my head in the first place."

_They don't seem convinced_, I remarked, looking through his eyes at their faces.

_Would you be?_

_Probably not, no._

"We should inform Dumbledore," Hermione said.

"Yes," Harry agreed, "we should. But I need you two to believe me."

"Harry… that's a pretty weird story you're telling. And we've got no proof, so…" Ron looked at him unhappily.

"I'd take Veritaserum, but we'd have to get some first, so I don't think I can prove that Helen's really there until we get back to school. But if Dumbledore would confirm it… would you believe me?"

"Of course, Harry," Hermione assured him. "We'll contact him immediately, and I promise you to try and find an explanation for this… I'll do research… and I think that Ron should tell his parents, maybe they have any idea…"

"I'll ask them as soon as I get back," Ron promised.

Harry nodded. Just like me, he wasn't entirely satisfied with this outcome, but it was better than nothing.

"I should probably get back before the Dursleys notice I'm gone."

_Absolutely_, I agreed with him.


	5. Caught

_Are you mad at me?_ I asked Harry when we passed the sliding entrance doors of the mall on our way back.

"Depends." I felt his resignation, muddled with worry and slowly subsiding anger. He sighed. "No I suppose not. I guess we should have discussed what we were going to tell Ron and Hermione, instead of stumbling into it blindly."

_Sounds sensible_, I admitted carefully, _let's do that next time._

I really didn't want Harry to be mad at me. First of all, because I obviously needed him. My fate pretty much depended on his cooperation. I might have succeeded in taking over his body temporarily, but despite his reserve and hesitancy, I felt that he was an equal match. He was quieter and calmer than me, but that did not make him less strong-willed or clever.

But I also liked him. A lot.

Maybe, because he was the first human being who had actually cared for me. Well – except for my parents, but I barely remembered them. I didn't even know their names. I had tried to recall more details, to remember their faces, the sound of their voices, the color of their eyes; but there was nothing but fragments floating around in the vast, dark expanse of oblivion.

We arrived at the bus stop; briefly scanned the timetable and discovered that the next bus leaving in our direction wasn't due for another forty minutes. I cursed under my breath (figuratively speaking, of course, since I wasn't exactly breathing at that time); and I felt Harry's disapproval.

"Where did you learn such language?"

I mentally shrugged. _I don't know. I don't care. What I __**DO**__ know is that I'm not patient enough to wait for another forty minutes._

"Well, then it's a good thing that I am here to entertain you; because I don't think that we've got much choice," Harry replied calmly. I could feel that he wasn't particularly happy, either, but he seemed ready to accept it.

_You're something of a fatalist, dear_, I commented. _I bet Voldemort will love that serene look of indifference on your face when he tries to kill you next time._

"Change of topic, please." Harry looked around nervously, as if he expected a bunch of Death Eaters to pop up behind the nearest car or trash can.

_Okay. Go ahead, entertain me. I'm starting to get bored already, and we haven't even been standing here for two minutes._

"At least, your feet aren't getting cold."

_No, but yours are, and I can feel that, too._

"You can feel my feet now, even though you're not in control of my body?"

_If I concentrate on it. If not, I can merely feel that you're uncomfortable. Pretty cool, huh? I'm getting better at this all the time._

"What exactly do you mean by '_this',_ Helen?" He asked, sounding somewhat alarmed.

_You know, all of it. Seeing what you see, hearing what you hear, feeling what you feel. Reading your thoughts. Interpreting your moods. I'd say I'm getting to know you pretty well._

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that."

_I promise not to share any embarrassing details about your private thoughts and feelings with anyone. Besides, if you tried a little harder, you'd see that it actually goes both ways. I'm pretty sure you could read my private thoughts, if you wanted to._

"I don't."

_Being all moral can be pretty boring, Harry. You'll discover that in time. You know…_

"What…?"

I chuckled at the back of his mind and I could feel him start. _… I was wondering… this entire thing, being inside your head and sort of following along with everything you do should get pretty interesting when you decide to do something private. Such as kissing somebody. But then, I'm curious. I think I wouldn't mind kissing a girl… just for the experience, you know?_

I could feel the crimson flush rising to his cheeks and laughed even harder.

"Helen!"

_I'm serious_, I insisted.

"I know! That's what's so disturbing about it!"

_Please don't tell me you're a homophobe, Harry…?_

"Of course not!" He retorted a little too quickly, and there was something on his mind… but alas, it passed too quickly and I wasn't fast enough to catch it.

Huh. So maybe Harry was still able to keep some secrets from me. I'd have to investigate further… carefully, so he wouldn't notice it.

Over all our friendly banter, we had both completely ignored our surroundings for the past ten minutes, so we both started when a shadow fell over Harry's face. He looked up, blinking against the brightness of the streetlight above us and met the predatory gaze of a hulking guy in his late teens, who reminded me sickeningly of a more muscular, slightly less overweight version of Harry's cousin Dudley.

_Uh, Harry… he doesn't look too nice…_

Harry seemed to agree with me. I could almost feel the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

The guy grunted something and we both had trouble deciphering his words at first, but his intentions were frightfully obvious. "You!" he bellowed at Harry. "Giwe me that!"

Harry just looked at him in confusion.

_I think he wants to rob you,_ I supplied helpfully.

"Giwe it to me!" The guy insisted, grabbing Harry by the front of his shirt.

"G-give you what…?" Harry stammered.

"Your mowile."

_Your what?_

Clearly, this guy had some serious articulation problems.

Harry showed me the image of a mobile phone in his mind, and as he handed me the concept of how it worked along with the picture, I understood.

_Oh… he probably overheard us talking and thought that you were talking on the phone. You wouldn't happen to have a mobile phone hidden in one of your pockets…?_

Harry shook his head. Being a wizard, even though a Muggle-raised one, he apparently found the use of mobile phones to be rather exotic and eccentric.

"I don't have a mobile!" He bravely told the guy.

"You're lying! I heard you talk! Giwe it to me!"

_Damn. Harry, get your wand ready and let me take over, so you won't get caught cursing Muggles in public. I think we should do something about this one._

He nodded his agreement and as his fingers grasped the wand, made room for me. I looked up at our opponent, assessing the situation.

_A simple knockback spell should do the trick_, Harry advised, _then turn around and run, we'll catch the bus at the next stop._

I protested silently; I really would have liked to do something a little more spectacular – and painful – to this great bully, but even I could see that right now, we shouldn't risk drawing any more attention to us than absolutely necessary.

"All right," I replied with a regretful sigh. The guy in front of us mistook my words for a sign of subservience and leaned forward expectantly. Yet instead of getting a mobile from Harry's pocket, I got the wand out. Thanks to Harry's memories, the spell worked on first try (it _was_ one of the simpler ones, after all). Our opponent stumbled backwards and fell with a heavy thump.

_Run!_ Harry called in my mind, and I did.

Only that I didn't get very far. I had barely covered a hundred meters distance when my feet suddenly seemed stuck to the ground. I was still moving, moving frantically, but somehow, I stayed in the same place.

_What's happening? _Harry sounded just as alarmed as I felt.

The answer to that promptly presented itself to us in the form of a tall woman, clothed like a Muggle. If the wand in her left hand was any indication, though, she wasn't what she appeared to be at first sight.

"You can stop running now, boy" she informed us – or rather, Harry – matter-of-factly. "It won't get you anywhere, unless I release you from the spell." She looked at us sternly from large, dark eyes.

"Who are you?" I demanded indignantly. "If you are a fellow witch, you ought to help us – um, me, I mean. I – that guy over there attacked me!"

"Truly?" She raised a slim, slanting eyebrow at me. "Because I only saw _you_ attacking _him_. An underage wizard using magic against an unsuspecting Muggle. Apart from the fact that you should not be out at this time, the unsupervised use of magic is a punishable offense for a minor."

"Who are you?", I repeated, now supremely annoyed by her tone and attitude, "A Wizarding lawyer? Cause you sure sound like one!"

"Mind your manners, young man," she chastised. "My name is Arielle Dumont. My occupation is none of your concern, since I shall turn you over to Ministry officials better qualified to deal with this. I already called for Magical Law Enforcement. They should be here momentarily."

And they were.

I cursed inwardly, asking Harry what we were supposed to do now, but he had no satisfying answer to that either. _We ought to go with them voluntarily and hope they'll give us a chance to explain, once we're at the Ministry, _he advised.

_But it's unfair! He attacked us_, I protested.

_We have no choice._


	6. Savior

_Harry's Tale_

_

* * *

_

_Are they planning on keeping us here till we grow roots or start rotting?_ Helen's furious voice rang through my head that was already hurting bad enough without her fussing and fuming inside it.

I was hungry, thirsty, cold, annoyed and worried. Combine that with Helen's helpless rage and impatience and you got a pretty unhealthy mixture. Staring up at the whitewashed ceiling of the Ministry holding cell we were currently in, I had to admit that I did not see a way out of this particular dilemma, though.

The cell was about two meters high, measuring some ten or twelve square meters. Apart from a low bed with a pillow, but no blanket, it contained a toilet, as well as a lamp. It was a stark, uncomfortable room, and it had one major flaw – there was no door. Okay, no, actually there was another one – you could not use any magic while being held inside it. None whatsoever. Helen and I knew for sure, because we had tried just about every spell we could come up with over the course of the last several hours.

I began to really hate Arielle Dumont. She had handed us over to Magical Law Enforcement without even bothering to give us a chance to explain what had happened. All she had seen was an underage wizard illegally using magic on an unsuspecting Muggle. Great. It was not as if I needed any more clashes with the Ministry…

And from in here, there was no way of contacting Dumbledore, Sirius or Ron and Hermione and asking for help.

_I wish Hedwig were here, _Helen said.

"What for? To keep us company? There's no way out, not even for an owl," I replied acidly.

_Damn! And all because of some idiotic Muggle…!_

"Careful. You're starting to sound a little Slytherin there."

_So…? I'm not very impressed with the Muggles I've met so far. Maybe I'd make a fine Slytherin. Wonder what house I'd be in…?_

"Gryffindor. Since you're inside my head, you don't get to chose."

_No, I mean hypothetically. _

"Definitely Ravenclaw. You're such a know-it-all, Helen."

_Pah! You're just jealous, because I'm smarter than you are. Besides, Hermione is in Gryffindor, too._

"Yeah well, there are exceptions to every rule."

_Well, as long as it isn't Hufflepuff…_

And then we both stopped talking, because there were suddenly sounds coming from somewhere outside the confines of our prison. Steps. Voices. There had to be at least three people out there, and even though I could not understand what they were saying, I was pretty sure that we'd soon find out.

Feeling apprehensive – a sentiment shared by Helen – I retreated to the far side of the room.

"Wish I still had my wand," I murmured.

_Wouldn't help you much against a bunch of Ministry guys, would it?_

Okay, she had a point there. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I watched a wooden door miraculously appear in the wall we were facing. It swung open, to admit two dark-robed wizards. I gaped at them, unable to believe what I saw.

"Mr. Weasley…? And… Remus?" Sure enough, there was the unmistakable red hair of the Weasley clan. They stepped into the room, grinning broadly at me, Ron, Hermione and a very familiar-looking black dog following them.

"Harry! Are you alright?" Hermione rushed over to meet us – well, me.

_Gee, I'm starting to really like your friends, Harry_, Helen commented. _They are a bunch of pretty useful people, aren't they?_

"Definitely."

I quickly hugged Hermione and received Ron's slap on the shoulder, then turned to face Arthur Weasley and my werewolf godfather. "How did you find us?"

"Pure luck," Mr. Weasley replied, "I heard at work that you had been taken into custody. I guess I wasn't actually supposed to overhear that particular conversation, but…" he shrugged, "… sometimes it pays off to keep your ears open and listen to Ministry gossip."

"Absolutely," I agreed.

Remus stepped closer, eyeing me warily. "So… is it true that Helen is with you, Harry…?"

_I'll let you answer that_, I told Helen, stepping aside.

"I'm here," she replied, using my voice. "How did you know?"

"Ron and Hermione told us what happened," he replied. Somehow, he didn't seem to happy.

_He's worried about something,_ Helen whispered, once again handing control of my body over to me.

"So, what now?" I asked them. "Is the Ministry prepared to let me go?"

"They don't have much of a choice, seeing that three people testified in your favor, saying that you were only defending yourself against a Muggle bully," Mr. Weasley said with a self-satisfied expression.

"Who testified?" I asked, looking at them suspiciously.

Ron grinned at me. "Me and Hermione, and Bill. We told the Ministry prosecutor that Hermione had taken us to see a Muggle movie and that you were going to take the bus back to the Dursleys'. We were too far away to intervene, but we watched that Muggle guy attack you. It's a credible enough story."

_Clever_, Helen said admiringly. _I really do like them!_

_Indeed._

_

* * *

_

Sitting in the kitchen at the Burrow, a large mug of steaming tea in front of me and surrounded by people I trusted and liked, I was ready to forgive the world for treating me as harshly as it had lately. Helen seemed a bit more skeptical, but I could tell that she liked the Weasleys well enough.

"So, what now?" She asked Remus when he reentered the room, accompanied by Sirius in his usual human form.

Remus' face was serious, when he answered. "I think, we need to talk, Harry, Helen. There is something you should know."

"We're all ears," Helen replied.

Remus shot a questioning look at the five Weasleys (Ginny and Mrs. Weasley had joined us) and Hermione, but Sirius by his side shrugged. "They might as well listen, Moony. Arthur and Molly know half of the truth, anyway, and the others might be interested, too. They are Harry's friends, after all."

"Alright, then," Remus replied, turning to face us. "Harry, first of all, I need to apologize to you. We have treated you very unfairly; we should have been completely honest with you right from the start. We were trying to protect you, but that's no excuse for lying to you."

"But… you never lied to me," I protested weakly, taken aback by his words.

"Yes he did," Sirius replied, "and so did I. We kept the truth from you, hoping to spare you some pain and grief, hoping that you could grow up having a normal childhood, but I'm afraid, we only made it worse. And we owe Helen an apology, too."

"What for? I hardly know you guys!" Helen was just as perplexed.

"For hoping you'd be dead, rather than trapped inside Harry's body and mind," Sirius told her bluntly.

"Wait a minute…", Arthur Weasley interrupted, "she's _alive_? Helen is _alive_?"

"As alive as you can be without your own body," Remus replied. "But yes, she's still there. And she has been for all those years. Only that she wasn't conscious."

"How come you all seem to know Helen?" I asked.

"Harry, dear," Mrs. Weasley cut in, looking very upset, "we know her, because she's your twin… your sister."

"Twin sister," Sirius echoed. "She was supposed to have died the day Voldemort invaded your home."

I was too stunned to reply anything, but Helen usurped my voice, asking rather sharply: "Supposed to…? What do you mean by _'supposed to'_?"

"Well, technically, Voldemort aimed a killing curse at each of you, and Helen's body was found next to Lily's and James'. But Lily… she had done something, worked magic in a desperate attempt to safe her children. No one knows exactly what she did. Lily's magic has always been different." Remus frowned. "I don't think, anyone ever understood what she did, not even Dumbledore. But whatever it was, it apparently saved both of you. Sort of."

_So… I have a sister…? _I asked incredulously.

_Apparently_, Helen replied. _Crazy, huh?_

_That's an understatement._

_It's okay, though. I do kind of like you_, she joked.

_I should be glad, huh?_

I could feel her laughter. It was strange, but somehow it felt right that Helen was my twin. Maybe I had even known it, somewhere deep down, on an unconscious level. She had seemed very familiar right from the start.

"So, what do we do know?" Helen asked. "Is there a way to get me out of Harry's body? No offense, Harry, I'm glad you're hosting me for the time being, but I'd like to have my own."

_I understand_, I assured her.

"Truthfully, I have no idea," Sirius replied.

"But maybe someone else does," Hermione interjected. "Maybe even Dumbledore. I mean, he didn't exactly know Helen was there, did he? Maybe he'll have a solution now that we know for sure. And if there's a way to get Helen her body, we'll find it." She smiled at both of us, trying to reassure us.

_She really is a good friend_, Helen said in my mind_._

_Absolutely._


End file.
